Hawks Coyotes' Equal--except On Scoreboard

November 25, 1998|By Michael Rosenberg, Tribune Staff Writer.

PHOENIX — The Blackhawks almost pulled out the surprise victory of the season Tuesday, and not just because any Hawks victory these days is a surprise. The Hawks hung in with the NHL's hottest team, the Phoenix Coyotes, as though the two were equals, only to fall 3-2.

"I don't know if I'm really frustrated, because the guys played hard," Hawks coach Dirk Graham said. "If we continue to play like that, we won't have a problem."

The game was tied at 1 heading into the third period, but the Coyotes struck twice within 70 seconds. Keith Tkachuk scored his second goal of the game after being so wide open in front of the net he could have planted a flag, and Jeremy Roenick followed it up with an easy backhander.

But the Hawks were not dead. Ethan Moreau scored at 9:09 to cut the margin to 3-2, and they swarmed the net in the closing seconds, but were denied by Phoenix goalie Nikolai Khabibulin.

To say this game shaped up as a mismatch is an understatement. The Coyotes are now 12-2-2, while the Hawks slipped to 5-13-3. But even that doesn't describe it sufficiently. The Coyotes haven't lost since Oct. 22; the Hawks have won once since Oct. 24.

In the first period, it looked like it would be every bit the blowout it was supposed to be. The Coyotes looked faster and smarter, and they were passing the puck to one another like they had it on a string.

Tkachuk finally put the puck in the net, redirecting a Roenick shot with his leg past goalie Jocelyn Thibault.

The Hawks rebounded to dominate the second period, outshooting Phoenix 14-4. Tony Amonte scored the equalizer--his league-leading 14th goal--with 20 seconds left in the period.